Vehicles traveling on pneumatic tires are susceptible to impeded mobility through sustained tire damage that substantially reduces the air pressure between the tire and a wheel that the tire is mounted on. To limit such susceptibility a vehicle may be equipped with a system that allows the vehicle to maintain a safe level of mobility after the occurrence of such damage. Systems that maintain a vehicle's drive mobility when a tire is damaged are known as “run-flat” systems.
Some run-flat systems provide a distinct support system mountable on the wheel between the wheel and the tire. Such systems bear the vehicle's load during a tire deflated condition. The loads on the support include substantial loads in radial and lateral directions, which loads stress the support material and structure in tensile, compressive, and shear modes. These loads challenge the integrity and operation of such a system and make it increasingly challenging to provide a system which may be easily installed, yet handles the rigors of safely maintaining a vehicle's ability to continue traveling on a damaged tire, particularly in a range of environments that include off-road environments.